By Robert Hart, Staff Reporter
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and Portia Simpson Miller, Minister of Local Government Community Development and Sport. - Ricardo Makyn/ Staff Photographer
PRIME MINISTER P.J. Patterson has warned private landowners seeking to profit off the $5 billion inner-city housing project that Government was prepared to take control of their property.
Speaking during yesterday's contract signing at Jamaica House, the Prime Minister said the Government is making moves to acquire 17 parcels of land, owned by private individuals but needed to complete the project which will seek to provide 5,000 low-income housing units for the poor, at heavily subsidised costs.
Some of the private individuals, he suggested, have been avoiding the sale of their properties in an attempt to drive-up the cost for Government acquisition.
"I think what some of them are waiting for you to go in and start the development and then claim exorbitant prices. I have news for them, we are not going that route," Mr. Patterson said.
He indicated that Cabinet had just earlier in the day given approval, for the property needed, to be acquired in accordance with provisions of the Land Acquisition Act of 1947.
"The Commissioner of Lands has been instructed to take the necessary action to acquire the properties and vest the land in the Ministry of Housing according to the provision of the Housing Act," said the PM.
The Government will be concentrating mainly on the properties required for the first phase of the project, for which yesterday's contract was signed.
The $2.7 billion contract was awarded to Ashtrom Building Systems. The PM signed on behalf of the Government and Ashtrom's managing director Benjamin Goldstein signed for his firm.
The first phase of the Inner-City Housing Project is slated to take place primarily in the West Kingston communities of Trench Town, Denham Town and Spanish Town Road. The Urban Development Corporation will supervise the work.
A significant portion of all the lands needed to complete the project are already in public ownership, Mr. Patterson said.
He also reiterated his commitment to prevent extortionists from taking over the project. In tandem with this goal, he also announced that a decision had been taken to allow all sub-contracts of under $4 million in value, to be awarded to workers in the communities in which the work would take place.
Prior to the Prime Minister's address, Earl Samuels, managing director of the National Housing Trust (NHT), provided a breakdown of the $5 billion 'original indicative budget'. He said the budget included $1.5 billion to provide infrastructure and development, $3 billion for new housing and $500 million for refurbishing and upgrading.
